Injured rescued in Glacier National Park

FLATHEAD COUNTY

At approximately 2:15 p.m. Saturday, July 26, park dispatch received notification that a hiker in the Lunch Creek Drainage, off of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, needed emergency assistance.

The 54-year old woman hiker from Kalispell fell, tumbled a short distance, dislocated her knee and was unable to hike out. Her hiking companion hiked to the Going-to-the-Sun Road to get help.

Two rangers hiked in to search for the hiker, and found her in a steep and rugged area, off trail. The hikers were hiking off trail when the incident occurred. Three rangers were flown to the area via helicopter to provide medical assistance and help evacuate the hiker.

Due to the terrain and the injury, rangers determined she would need to be hoisted out of the area. Members of the Flathead County Sheriff's Office aboard the Two Bear Air Helicopter responded to the scene and hoisted the hiker to the helicopter, and then transported her to the West Glacier area where the Three Rivers Ambulance was waiting. The ambulance transported the injured hiker to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.